Anthrax by jeanne guillemin paperback university of. For at least 20 years 19721992 the soviet union hid a 65,000 person offensive biological weapons program. The research at biopreparat constituted a violation of the. The most senior defector from the soviet germ warfare program says in a new book that soviet officials concluded china had suffered a grave accident at one of its secret plants for developing. The biological weapons convention, which took effect in 1975, was supposed to end that, but in the soviet union, a massive clandestine program continued to produce anthrax spores and several other. This is the most comprehensive book written about the cold war development of biological weapons in the former soviet union. By the time his book was available, publications were becoming more restricted and the extent of the soviet threat of biological weapons was being overstated by congress and the media. Coronavirus, chinas lies, and bioweapons research news. The soviet biological weapons program milton leitenberg. This occurred despite the fact that the ussr was a signatory to the 1925 geneva convention, which banned both chemical and biological weapons. The soviet biological weapons program is an immense work, and one whose very thoroughnesswhen conflicting narratives are available, both are offeredcan be exhausting.
Mysteries of the soviet biological weapons program by alex wellerstein, published july 23rd, 2012 this is a nuclearthemed blog, but as you probably could guess, im pretty equalopportunity when it comes to being interested in weapons of mass destruction. In 2010 the us government signed an agreement with the former soviet republic of armenia to cooperate in the control or destruction of dangerous pathogens, and in other efforts to prevent proliferation of biological weapons. A history harvard university press, 2012and served as a unscom weapons inspector in iraq. Aug 20, 2014 all things considered, the soviet biological weapons program is relevant and worthwhile to the air force community. But it was still terrifying to see the extent of biological weapons programs and the potential for careless mistakes that would have been extremely costly or the destruction of entire populations from germ warfare. This is the first attempt to understand the full scope of the ussrs offensive biological weapons research, from inception in the 1920s. The cold war and the us biological warfare program 6. The soviet biological weapons program the soviet unions firstgeneration biological warfare program, 19261972 russian armies suffered heavy losses from disease during all three of the major conflicts they were involved in at the beginning of the 20 th century. In part due to this cfr, marv research was an integral part in the soviet unions biological weapons research.
Nov 15, 2016 in fact, reports from soviet defectors in the 1990s tell of a vast, highly funded program involving tens of thousands of researchers working on biological weapons to lob at america and other targets. Jul 23, 2012 mysteries of the soviet biological weapons program by alex wellerstein, published july 23rd, 2012 this is a nuclearthemed blog, but as you probably could guess, im pretty equalopportunity when it comes to being interested in weapons of mass destruction. Ken alibeks autobiographical account of the soviet biological weapons program is probably the most astonishing, and downright terrifying, things i have read in a long time. National security and the biological weapons threat 10. In its first weapons of mass destruction wmd case study, the center for the study of weapons of mass destruction cswmd at the national defense university examined president richard m. Apr 05, 1999 the most senior defector from the soviet germ warfare program says in a new book that soviet officials concluded china had suffered a grave accident at one of its secret plants for developing.
The history of the soviet union has long fascinated me from the start of the empire when the peasants rose up against the establishment and lenins bolshevik red army stormed the winter gardens to the fall of the empire and the events that led up to its collapse. Decades after deadly lab accident, a secret russian bioweapon. The soviet campaign was designed to distract attention from its own biological weapons program. History, ecology, politics provides more evidence for the already wellsubstantiated conclusion that the soviet union had created the worlds hugest potential for offensive biological warfare, even that there was no need for this to be done as the soviet. As the soviet union created a biological weapon the global. Based on interviews with important soviet scientists and managers, papers from the soviet central committee, and u. The gaps suggest that soviet leaders were conflicted over how and when to use such weapons.
Today, ken alibek works to help people as vice president of research and development at locus. They have called him highly believable about the subjects he knows firsthand, like the soviet biological weapons program from 1975 to 1992, when he served as one of moscows top germ warriors. In 1969, harvard biologist matthew meselson argued that the biological warfare programs would eventually hurt us security because potential enemy nations could. The chilling story of the largest covert biological weapons program in. The history of the soviet biological weapons program. Decades after deadly lab accident, a secret russian. Russian officials claim today that the ussr never possessed an offensive biological weapons program. Once, he oversaw the soviet unions biological weapons program, capable of killing millions. A defector from the former soviet biological weapons program said in an interview today that moscows cold war plans for world war iii included preparing hundreds of tons of anthrax bacteria. This history is the first attempt to understand the broad scope of the ussrs offensive biological.
This is the summary of the soviet biological weapons program. The chilling true story of the largest covert biological weapons program in the worldtold from the inside by the due to covid19, orders may be delayed. Mar 27, 2018 zilinskas literally wrote the book on the soviet biological weapons program, with milton leitenbergthe soviet biological weapons program. Professor, alumnus shed light on russias secret bioweapons. The soviet bw program began in the 1920s at the leningrad military academy under the control of the state security apparatus, known as the gpu. The soviet biological weapons program and its legacy in today. In part due to this cfr, marv research was an integral part in. From a unique insiders perspective, a former highlevel scientist in the soviet biological warfare program tells the story in biohazard. Soviet defector says china had accident at a germ plant. Soviet defector says china had accident at a germ plant the. The chilling true story of the largest covert biological weapons program in the world told from inside by the man who ran it, random house, isbn 0385334966. The subtitle for biohazard, the chilling true story of the largest covert biological weapons program in the worldtold from the inside by the man who ran it, is a very good summary of the book s contents. Apr 15, 2020 11 insightful books about the soviet union worth reading.
Anthrax genome reveals secrets about a soviet bioweapons. The project was reportedly initiated by academician yuri ovchinnikov, who convinced general secretary leonid brezhnev that development of biological weapons was necessary. Nixons decision, on november 25, 1969, to terminate the u. The book, written by a soviet scientist living in exile in the us, was decidedly antisoviet and proamerican. Both leitenberg and zilinskas area excellent writers and although the text is a daunting pages it actually reads quite easily. Soviet defector warns of biological weapons the new york times. It makes a complete mockery of colin powell and the vial of white powder at peak the soviets were able to manufacture tons of weaponised anthrax a day. But for those seeking to understand the soviet unions complicated relationship with biological weapons, perhaps with an eye toward discerning the russian federations.
Russian biological warfare capabilities are worldthreatening. In fact, the soviet government spent billions of rubles and hard currency to fund a hugely expensive weapons program that added nothing to the countrys security. This book provides an extraordinary look inside the russian chemicalweapons development system, written by a scientist who was deeply involved in that work for decades until he exposed it to the world in 1993. Jul 20, 2012 based on interviews with important soviet scientists and managers, papers from the soviet central committee, and u. Cold war biowarfare stocks probably remain in russia, book.
The biological weapons convention, which took effect in 1975, was supposed to end that, but in the soviet union, a massive clandestine program continued to. According to the chemist lev fyodorov, the author of the book the soviet biological weapons. The soviet biological weapons program and its legacy in. Apr 05, 1999 they have called him highly believable about the subjects he knows firsthand, like the soviet biological weapons program from 1975 to 1992, when he served as one of moscows top germ warriors. Cracking open the soviet biological weapons system, 1990. But for those seeking to understand the soviet unions complicated relationship with biological weapons, perhaps with an eye toward discerning the russian federation. Biological weapons program in the worldtold from the inside by the man who ran it, is a very good summary of the book s contents. United states biological weapons program wikipedia. Its 30,000 employees researched and produced pathogenic weapons for use in a major war. Jan 15, 20 this is the summary of the soviet biological weapons program. As the soviet union created a biological weapon the. Jan 01, 1999 the book, written by a soviet scientist living in exile in the us, was decidedly antisoviet and proamerican.
This history is the first attempt to understand the broad scope of the ussrs offensive biological weapons researchits inception in the 1920s, its growth between 1970 and 1990. Kenneth alibek formerly kanatjan alibekov visited the center for nonproliferation studies in monterey and met with the staff of the chemical and biological weapons nonproliferation project cbwnp. A sovietera biological weapons research plant is preparing to have a coronavirus vaccine ready by june. The soviet biological weapons program book description. A newly published book suggests russia has retained stockpiles of biologicalweapon agents developed by soviet experts during the cold war ap photomisha japaridze. Ken alibek, deputy chief of the main soviet biological weapons laboratory, disclosed in his book, biohazard, that the soviets had explored aids as a weapon but concluded it was too unstable for use. Soviet defector warns of biological weapons the new york. Feb 25, 1998 a defector from the former soviet biological weapons program said in an interview today that moscows cold war plans for world war iii included preparing hundreds of tons of anthrax bacteria. Mar 16, 2020 ken alibek, deputy chief of the main soviet biological weapons laboratory, disclosed in his book, biohazard, that the soviets had explored aids as a weapon but concluded it was too unstable for. Virulent biological weapons a deadly cold war hangover. It was a vast, ostensibly civilian, network of secret laboratories, each of which focused on a different deadly bioagent. Mar 16, 2020 the soviet campaign was designed to distract attention from its own biological weapons program. Coronavirus, chinas lies, and bioweapons research america. Over the course of its history, the soviet program is known to have weaponized and stockpiled the following eleven bioagents and to have pursued basic research on many more.
Biohazard focuses on the career of the author, ken alibek, a military physician and microbiologist who worked on the soviet unions secret biological weapons bw program in. In fact, reports from soviet defectors in the 1990s tell of a vast, highly funded program involving tens of thousands of researchers working on biological weapons to lob at america and other targets. Russian president boris yeltsin had earlier admitted that the soviet union had a biological weapons program in. With the concurrence of the united states, great britain, and the soviet union, the biological weapons convention bwc was completed in 1972, and some 140 states are now party to it. Mysteries of the soviet biological weapons program. Virulent biological weapons a deadly cold war hangover details have emerged of soviet union plague warfare plans, writes joby warrick in washington.
It produced tanks, ballistic missiles, rockets and other armaments. Jun 29, 2012 this is the first attempt to understand the full scope of the ussrs offensive biological weapons research, from inception in the 1920s. One theory, explored by the authors, is that biological weapons were developed not for military. A history will be the standard and definitive reference source on this issue for years to come, until such times as more archival material becomes available in russia, us, uk and elsewhere which may help flesh out in greater detail some other aspects of this sad story. Scientist who supervised soviet biological weapons. Secret sharing and the japanese biological weapons program 19341945 5. On march 26, 1975, the biological weapons convention bwc came into force. Ken alibek, deputy chief of the main soviet biological weapons laboratory, disclosed in his book, biohazard, that the soviets had explored aids as a weapon but concluded it was too unstable for. A scientist picks up a laboratory rat for use in a 2001 experiment at the former biological weapons development institute in obolensk, russia. All things considered, the soviet biological weapons program is relevant and worthwhile to the air force community. However, at 712 pages of text and another 209 pages dedicated to four appendixes acronyms and russian terms, a glossary, and two sets of official historical documents together with notes and an index, the book presents a. Zilinskas literally wrote the book on the soviet biological weapons program, with milton leitenbergthe soviet biological weapons program. A major nuclear accident happened in this region in 1957, when a nuclear waste facility exploded known as the kyshtym disaster, resulting in the spread of radioactive dust over a thousand.
It is amazing to think that such a large program was hidden from the world for so long. The closed city of sverdlovsk had been a major production center of the soviet militaryindustrial complex since world war ii. Book details sino, soviet germ weapon programs chicago tribune. But as a remarkable new book lays out in grim detail, no regime made greater progress in biological warfare than did the soviet union. Biopreparat was established in 1973 as a civilian continuation of earlier soviet biological weapons programs.